“No, this method seems tailor-made for me. I absolutely cannot miss it!”
Han Yi paced back and forth, muttering to himself.
“I’ll lose one-third of the penalty fee, and my principal amount is 910,000.”
“If I can successfully recover it, that’s 600,000…”
A wave of heartache struck Han Yi as he calculated the loss.
He furrowed his brows in frustration: “Still, I’m short by over 500,000!”
“If I push myself again this year, even at the risk of backlash, I could earn that much. But such frequent use will likely harm my foundation.”
Caught in an internal struggle, Han Yi finally made up his mind after a long while.
“I used to think that as long as I controlled my fate, I could achieve greatness in cultivation.”
“Resources, connections—these are just as important!”
“Now that such an incredible technique has surfaced in the world, this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If the heavens give and I refuse, I’ll only regret it later!”
With that thought, Han Yi headed straight to the administrative hall in Congyun City.
On the way, he heard that a large number of cultivators had gathered there, all hoping to redeem their contributions early, just like him.
At first, he was a bit relieved, thinking that a crowd would make things easier.
However, when he arrived, his heart sank.
Only a handful of individuals remained scattered around, their expressions weary and lifeless, like frostbitten eggplants.
“Could something have gone wrong again?” Anxiously, Han Yi began asking around.
To his surprise, it was just a misunderstanding, and his concerns were unnecessary.
“So, as long as I’m willing to pay 30% of the penalty fee, I can retrieve my contribution points?”
“No additional conditions?”
After confirming the details, Han Yi let out a long sigh of relief.
A nearby cultivator, however, scoffed: “Thirty percent is no small amount, and yet you seem completely unfazed.”
Han Yi shook his head: “A deal is a deal. The contract was crystal clear when I signed it. Even if I regret it now, I won’t complain.”
“Honestly, I thought Lord Envoy might take advantage of everyone’s urgent need for money and increase the penalties. But it seems their integrity is commendable.”
Unintentionally, Han Yi’s words provoked the cultivators around him.
“You scoundrel, are you one of Li Fan’s stooges? Listening to you, it sounds like being cheated is a blessing!”
“Exactly! You don’t look familiar—how do we know you’re not here spreading lies for Li Fan? Don’t let his sweet words fool you!”
“Despicable!”
In an instant, Han Yi became the target of everyone’s frustrations. Stunned, he didn’t know how to respond.
Fortunately, He Zhenghao noticed the commotion and intervened in time.
“Enough with this nonsense! I think this fellow Daoist makes a valid point—honor your commitments! None of you were forced to sign the contract back then. Some of you even begged to join the fundraiser. So why act like this now?”
With a stern scolding, He Zhenghao silenced the crowd.
The cultivators, unable to argue further, left in embarrassment.
“What’s your name, Daoist?” After the crowd dispersed, He Zhenghao addressed Han Yi with a friendly tone.
“I am Han Yi,” he replied nervously, recognizing He Zhenghao as the person in charge of the fundraiser and the key to recovering his contribution points.
“Haha, fellow Taoist Han, please relax,” He Zhenghao said with a knowing smile.
Having interacted with tens of thousands of cultivators, He Zhenghao could easily read Han Yi’s state of mind.
Recalling Li Fan’s recent instructions, he quickly devised a plan.
“In this day and age, cultivators like you, Fellow Daoist Han, who understand reason and fairness, are rare.” He Zhenghao sighed.
“Don’t be misled by the gossip outside. Lord Envoy is far from a fraud. On the contrary, he is kind-hearted. When he learned that many cultivators urgently needed contribution points, he specifically instructed us to waive the penalty fees for those in dire straits.”
Han Yi was stunned: “Really?”
He Zhenghao’s expression turned serious: “Lord Envoy always keeps his word. Why would I deceive you?”
“Come, Daoist Han, I’ll process your request immediately.”
Overjoyed, Han Yi eagerly followed him.
Half a day later, holding his recovered 910,000 contribution points, Han Yi was overcome with emotion.
“Could it be that my luck is finally turning?”
But as he reflected further, he felt a lingering unease.
“No, it’s not just luck. Li Fan truly lives up to his reputation—what magnanimity!”
“Waiving such a significant penalty with a simple gesture… Truly extraordinary.”
“Those cultivators earlier were clearly judging him unfairly.”
Grateful to Li Fan, Han Yi couldn’t help but admire him even more.
Little did he know, this was precisely what Li Fan had intended.
By instructing his subordinates to selectively waive penalties for some cultivators, Li Fan had sown discord.
Those who benefited would naturally defend him when criticized, while others, burdened by real losses, would remain skeptical.
As debates arose, public opinion shifted from unified criticism to divided arguments.
For uninvolved onlookers, it became harder to trust either side completely.
Thus, the negative impact was quietly neutralized.
When questioned, one could easily dismiss it with: “Ah, it’s a complicated matter. Hard to say who’s right.”
This strategy also bought Li Fan precious time to finalize his plans.
If he acted too harshly, it might raise suspicions that he was preparing to flee.
But by temporarily calming doubts, he ensured that when the Crimson Flame arrived, his grand scheme in Congyun Sea would reach its final stage.
As expected, although the incident caused some unrest, it gradually faded from memory.
As the deadline for the discounted technique drew closer, cultivators focused most of their energy on earning contribution points to exchange for techniques before the opportunity disappeared.
Han Yi was no exception.
Because contribution points were scarce, he searched relentlessly but failed to find a suitable opportunity.
Left with no choice, he activated his Heavenly Fate Scripture to seek a chance.
Following its guidance, he departed from Congyun Sea and ventured deep into the Ten Thousand Immortal Alliance.